After Iran War, US Launches "New War" at Sea - Death Toll Rises

The United States military announced on Tuesday that it carried out an attack on a ship believed to be involved in drug trafficking. The incident occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean and has revived the US “war on drugs” campaign targeting Latin American countries. Quoting AFP on Wednesday (15/4/2026), the US military stated that four people were killed in the latest deadly strike, which had been halted due to the US-Israel war against Iran in the Middle East. These four new fatalities have increased the total death toll from the controversial US military campaign—which lacks international verification—to at least 174 people. Previously, the Trump administration insisted that it was effectively at war with what it called “narco-terrorists” operating in Latin America. However, there is no concrete evidence that the targeted ships were involved in drug trafficking, sparking intense debate about the legality of these operations. International law experts and human rights groups have stated that the attacks are likely extrajudicial killings. The strikes, they emphasise, appear to target civilians who pose no direct threat to the US.